President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that the United States had taken control of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a move that could heighten tensions with the country.
"As you probably know, we have just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” Trump said. "Large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized, actually."
Attorney General Pam Bondi later posted a video on X showing armed personnel descending on to the vessel from a helicopter and moving across the deck with weapons drawn. She said the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the US Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, had executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
Bondi wrote that the tanker had been under US sanctions for several years because of its role in an illicit oil shipping network that supports foreign terrorist organisations. She added that the seizure, carried out safely in international waters off the Venezuelan coast, was part of an ongoing investigation to prevent the movement of sanctioned oil.
Trump did not give details about the reasons for the action, saying only that it was seized “for very good reason.” When asked what would happen to the oil on board, he replied, “We keep it, I guess.”
A senior US official said the operation took place without incident or injuries to either American personnel or the ship’s crew. The tanker, named Skipper, was carrying Venezuelan crude. It had previously been linked to Iranian oil, and a federal judge had issued a warrant for its seizure because of those connections.
The move could further strain US relations with Venezuela, where Trump has increased pressure in an effort to force President Nicolas Maduro from office. The ship, initially headed for Cuba, was ultimately meant for Asia through Cuban intermediaries, the official said. He added that more seizures may follow in the coming weeks as the United States continues its pressure on Maduro.
